The Hellstorm Pirates
by Scizor
Summary: Dagger and Riko are abducted by the pirate Talon and Zidane and company set out to rescue them. But someone else is after the two young princesses.


The Hellstorm Pirates

By: Scizor

Act 1: Enter The Hellstorm 

Takes place at the very end of FF9 (the play).  Brief summary, Alexandria is raided by the Hellstorm Pirates, a powerful pirate gang, led by Talon, a powerful gold mage (made them up), who controls Ark, the living airship.  During the raid, Dagger (or Garnet if you prefer) and Eiko are kidnapped, and now Zidane, Steiner, Freya, Vivi, Amarant, Quina, Sir Fratleny, and Beatrix, must find the hidden base of the Hellstorm Pirates, and free them from there clutches.  (On a side note, gold mages can control all magic, including summons.  Scary, isn't it).

(Did I spell Fratleny right)?

{**}

Zidane and Dagger were locked in tight embrace.  All around people were clapping and cheering.

"How touching", yelled a voice from one of the castle's balconies.

Everyone turned and saw a tall man wearing armor, gauntlets, a shield, boots, and a small pendant shaped like a tear, all colored blood red.  An Excalibur sword hung at his side.  His hair was brown and cut very short.  He had piercing green eyes and an air of power around him.

"Don't you just love a happy ending", he called out to the crowd.

He suddenly jumped from the balcony and landed gracefully right in front of Dagger and Zidane.

"Your highness", he said as he bowed, "allow me to introduce myself".  "My name is Talon".

Whispers broke out among the crowd.

"He's the leader of the Hellstorm Pirates", whispered a nearby noble.

"Your highness, I have a request", said Talon, "You see my crew and I are rather poor".  "We would like you and everyone here to donate gold, jewels, and any other valuables to our charity".   "Now it will all go to a good cause of course".  "Our wallets", he said chuckling.

"Don't you think you're a little out numbered here", said Zidane?

Suddenly armed men and women appeared on the rooftops around the stage.

"No, not really", he said, smirking.

He snapped his fingers and pirates armed with swords, axes, and lances burst out of all the entrances and exits.

"Now everyone just calm down and no one will get hurt, just give your gold, jewels, items, and anything else worth money to the men with the sacks and this will all me over in moments", said talon.  "As long as we don't get any heroics", he said, eyeballing Zidane, "no one will get hurt".

Suddenly a whistling sound filled the air.

Talon turned and brought his shield in front of him, blocking a wing edge thrown by Amarant.

"Is that the best you've got", said talon.

Zidane pulled his daggers out and slashed at talon.

Talon back flipped out of his range and pulled his sword.

"Big mistake", he growled.  "Take them", he yelled to his men.

Alexandrian soldiers and Hellstorm Pirates began to attack each other.

Talon lunged at Zidane, trying to slice his chest open.

Zidane flipped out of his lung just in time, but still got some of his vest slashed.

Talon just barely dodged a slash from Steiner, but nailed him right in the chest with a swift kick, sending him sprawling.

Talon jumped back as the others surrounded him.

Talon just smirked.

"So, want to try and gang up on me, huh", he growled.  "Lets even the odds".

A blast of fire suddenly shot from his hands, catching Quina right in the chest and sending him flying.

Vivi fired a thunder attack at him, but Talon threw up a reflect spell, bouncing it right back at him.

"Time for the real fun", he growled.  "Ark, Get rid of them".

The giant, living airship, Ark, appeared above them and began to rain down cannon fire on them.  Everyone but the Hellstorm Pirates and Talon was knocked unconscious.

Talon smirked.

"Get the gold and supplies we need and lets get out of here", he called out to his pirates.

Ark landed nearby and Talon walked over to it while his men grabbed gold and supplies from the nobles and storehouses.  He didn't notice 2 of his men pick up Dagger and Eiko.

{**}

Talon sat on a chair on the bridge of Ark, studying a necklace through a magnifying glass (the kind jewelers use).

"Beautiful", he mumbled.

One of the pirates walked up to him.

"Um, sir", he said.

"Yes", answered Talon, "what is it"?

"We gathered all the needed supplies, and grabbed enough jewelry and goods to gather around 1,000,000 gold", the pirate said.

"Good, have the gold dispersed evenly once we get back to base and sell the stuff we don't want to keep", said Talon.

Yes sir, said the pirate.

"Oh, before I forget, we need to get some-", he began before he heard A loud crash coming from below deck.

"What the hell was that", exclaimed Talon, bolting up from his chair.

"I don't know sir", it sounded like it came from the cargo hold", said the Pirate.

"Gather up some men and head down to the cargo hold", Talon ordered.  "You 5", Talon said, pointing at 5 crewmembers, "come with me".

"Yes sir", they said as they grabbed swords and axes.

The pirate leader and his men ran down the stairs while the remaining crew began to call for more men to head down to the hold.

(**)

Zidane moaned and sat up.

"That Ark packs a bigger punch then I remember", he groaned.

Around him the others were beginning to wake up.

"Is everybody okay", asked Zidane?

He got a chorus of groans in reply.

"Wha.. What was that", groaned Vivi?

"Remember when we went to Oilvert to find the gulag stone A while back and left you with Eiko, Dagger, and Steiner", said Zidane.

Vivi nodded.

"Well that thing was guarding it", said Zidane. "I wonder how he got it to follow his orders".

"ZIDANE", yelled Steiner.

"What is it", said Zidane?

"WHERE IS THE PRINCESS", he yelled?

"Eiko is missing to", said Amarant.

"WHAT", Zidane yelled?

**

In the next chapter, Talon discovers the two princesses while Zidane and company prepare to follow the outlaw to his hideout. But someone is watching the actions of the pirate and is preparing it's own assault on the pirate's hideout.

Next Chapter: The Hunt Begins


End file.
